After a lot of swearing,troubleshooting,alcohol and some more swearing. I figured out why my front axle was not locking in.
Dang blasted vacuum switching valves up on passenger inner fender. The one that locks it wasn't getting current...thus the relay is apparently bad. At Yota stealership price of $150 for a new relay and no Yota in any yards close to me.
I did some experimenting and low n behold...got her to lock in...my way!
Stopped at my bud's work,which happens to be a printing shop. Got hooked up with 2 air valves. Got me 15' of vacuum line from Autozone,some barbed fittings at Lowes. Spent about 30 minutes in the garage running vacuum lines into the cab and hooking air valves up and I now have 4 wheel drive once again! made my own darn vacuum switching valves!

 

nice... that sounds like something I would do...

at least you know exactly what to look for now if your 4x isn't engaging, doubt that will be an issue now though.

what are the specs on those valves, any idea? they look like simple shutoff valves?

 

Pretty creative. I like it.

This is my solution not as easy as yours though. :

 

So, you ran new vacuum hoses through the firewall. Are they water tight?

Just FYI, you probably could have called deathcougar at nix99 and gotten a new relay for... ~40 bucks.

 

my vacum switch for 4 wheel drive failed in mine and the dealer wanted like $160 for one we went to the junkyard and found a 2nd gen 4x4 4runner and took the whole braket out of it, and it was ethier free or like 20 bucks.and yes i relize mine is a 3rd gen but the part does the same thing.

 

aa1911...no real specs on the valves to my knowledge. They're air valves for a printing press,but I later found similar valves at Lowes for just a few bucks.

xxxtreme22r...manual locking hubs is outta the question for me. 1) my rig is turning 238k any day now n not worth it. 2) I'm to darn lazy to get outta the cab in feet of mud or snow to turn a locker

scuba...yeah. Ran 'em through an existing hole in my firewall up under driver side that I have some wiring going through. I just dug out the old sealer around the grommet,put a new grommet in,snaked the vacuum hoses through and reapplied some sealer. It is water tight,but that's about the only thing on my rig that is water tight. Did not,at all,want to continue relying on electrical anything to engage my front axle. Those factory,electrical vacuum switching valves are the worst design ever.That's why I completely ignored replacing the relay...even if one was given to me for free. My way solved all troubleshooting. It's either locked...or not

 

thanks dutchboy, they looked like simple shutoffs but was just curious if they were any different...

 

Can you post a picture of how you have the hoses attached to your front diff ...thanks

 

...................crickets chirpping......................

 

I like this idea. I'm thinking of using a three way valve though. That way I can mount the valve in the dash or the console.

 

Ok...not new to this site or wheeling...Usually I do a search and sit for a couple of hours or so reading through threads to find what I need and this has worked for me before. However, does anyone have a picture of the relay under the dash or the switch on the T-Case. I was out wheeling yesterday (Saturday) and had intermintent 4WD...The light does come on and off when the 4Runner decides it wants to run in 4WD. It will stay in 4Wd either in LOW/HIGH and I can switch between the two and stay. But take it out and in to 2WD it'll take a while before it'll decide to switch in to 4WD again. I can hear the relay under the dash BUZZING like it wants to activate and then when it does switch into 4WD the buzzing stops. So could this be a vacum line or a relay or the switch on the T-Case?

If there's anyone who has pictures of the relay, the switch on the T-case, and the VSV, would you post them for my-self and others please?

Thanks-
-Ted

 

You did all that for a relay?


IMO, it's overkill and not needed.

We have salvage yards, the internet, and Toyota parts salvager's here in Tennessee for that sorta thing.

Now how easy can it be converted back when or if you get the relay, or sell the truck to a guy that doesn't like the look of the vacuum lines?


Just a pet peeve, but I hate ppl that "fix" things like that...

 

$150 for a switch that's lasted 237,000 miles is a no brainer to me...

 

This won't fix the ADD problem.

As it is, he has drive flanges which make the axles locked to the spindles 100% of the time. Unless he breaks an axle or strips a drive flange, he will be locked in all the time. The ADD vacuum valve locks the jack shaft into the main diff in the front end.

 

oh I know, you have to change that whole tube side out. Which is why I said not as easy as his fix.

 

Those are some big lines... How do you know the supply is not greater than what's needed and you won't suck a hole through the diaphragm?

 

Bump...

NEED PICS....of the relay and switch on T-case....Please?

-Ted

 

this thread is full of fail

Would be a good trail fix. But you probably could have spent 50% more, and gotten manual hubs, locked over the actuator, then saved money on the cv boots you wont wear out so quick.

 

[QUOTE=2DoorRunner;51648841]this thread is full of failQUOTE]

Then enlighten me please? No sarcasim...If there's a better way of doing something, then I'm willing to listen...How bout those pics of the relay and the switch on the T-case...have any of those?

And the fix of moving the gear over and locking it in with the hose clamp, I've already read through that write up...I want to save this as a last resort. I'd rather chase the problem and figure it out and then decide from there which one I'd prefer to do. I come away with more knowledge for the next time or person that might have a need for this information.

Anyhelp would be great.

-Ted

 

A better solution would be replacing the valve with one out of a junk yard for the same price, or less than what was spent on vacuum hoses and barbed fittings.

This is kinda like putting a boom box in your car because the stereo doesn't work. This also reminds me of my uncle, who refused to pay the money for a new cruise control switch in his blazer. Instead, he spent about $50 on a bunch of switches and wires and crap and had his truck looking like absolute dog crap over a small difference in money.